1455 Author Series: A Conversation with Justen Ahren

Welcome to our first virtual event as part of 1455’s ongoing Author Series. A shout out to our friends at Handley Library in downtown Winchester, where we usually have these monthly events, in person.

By way of introduction, I’d like to start by wishing everyone as much health and happiness as it’s possible to convey. It seems that so much of our world has ground to a halt, and standard operating procedures rightly went out the window. But as part of our mission to produce as much free content and programming as possible, it seems that there’s never been a more appropriate or necessary time to explore and celebrate the myriad ways art can provide distraction, solace, and inspiration.

I can’t think of a better person to kick off this evolving vision of 1455’s outreach than my dear friend Justen Ahren. In fact, without Justen, and his friendship and example, it’s hard to imagine 1455, and all that’s happened since 2017, would be possible. I met Justen when he was in charge of the Noepe Center for Literary Arts, which he founded and ran for over a decade. I was there, first for a two-week residency in 2015, and then as writer in residence and manager in 2016. As this conversation will make abundantly clear, I’m a fan of Justen, the artist, and Justen, the human being.

Obligatory Bio: Martha’s Vineyard Poet Laureate, Justen Ahren, is the author of a previous collection of poems, A Strange Catechism. He is founder and director of Noepe Center for Literary Arts and the Italy Writing Workshop. Ahren is also a photographer. His current project, A Machine for Remembering, from which the photos in this book are drawn, focuses on refugees and refugee landscapes. To read more poetry and view photographic work, visit justenahren.com, and follow him on Instagram and Facebook, @justenahren.

Two of his poems, below, followed by a video of our recent conversation.